Kanlaon Volcano emits sulfur stench

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Sulfur stench from Kanlaon Volcano hit areas in the cities of Bago and La Carlota as well as in the town of La Castellana in Negros Occidental on Monday night.

The stench prevailed even as no eruption acitivity was recorded in Kanlaon, according to Mari-Andelene Quintia, resident volcanologist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) based at the Kanlaon Volcano Observatory.

Quintia said the stench could be due to an increase in the volcano’s sulfur dioxide emissions.

The odor affected all villages in Castellana, according to municipal disaster risk reduction and management office chief John de Asis.

The intensity and duration of the smell varied, depending on the community’s distance from the volcano’s crater, De Asis said.

Residents were advised to wear face masks and keep doors and windows closed to reduce exposure to the stench.

Quintia said that rain and winds carried the foul odor in areas distant from the volcano.

Citing a volcanic activity in 2024, Quintia said the strong degassing of sulfur dioxide can be carried downslope by rain and wind.

Monitoring of Kanlaon’s activity continues as localized thunderstorms are prevailing in some parts of Negros Island, Phivolcs said.